1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emergency tower escape system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an emergency tower escape system for a building having multiple floors. A plurality of spiral chutes which are built into a plurality of towers operate in unison as egress units for the emergency egress of occupants of a building having multiple floors.
2. Description of Prior Art
Numerous innovations for emergency escape systems have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A First Example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,711 to Smith teaches a transport or escape device, particularly adaptable for use in modern high rise building, and skyscrapers, as an escape route for use in the rescue of people who may be trapped and prevented from using the conventional stairways and elevators due to some injury, or natural or man-made disaster such as fire, elevator failure, building collapse, etc. The apparatus, or device, particularly useful as a fire escape, comprises the combination of a channel member installed upon the wall of a building which serves as a way, or rail for a roller chain, adapted to carry personnel escorts or carriers. The roller chain is meshed with a sprocket, or sprockets, powered by appropriate motor means such that the roller chain, provided with one or a plurality of personnel escorts or carriers fitted thereto via appropriate connecting means, can be guided and transported via the channel member, or rail, up the wall of the building from a lower level, e.g., ground level, to a higher level, e.g., the roof of the building, and then returned in similar manner. For example, empty personnel escorts can be conveyed to the roof of the building, loaded with people, and then returned to ground level. Suitably, the roller chain is stored upon a drum from which it can be unwound for use, and then rewound for storage. The channel member, or rail, is generally permanently mounted on a wall of the building, while other components can be either permanently mounted, or transportably mounted on a vehicle for use at different locations equipped with the channel members, or rails, installed prior to any emergency use requirement.
A Second Example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,021 to Smith, Jr. et al. teaches an escape system designed for use with multi-story buildings. The system comprises a generally cylindrical (or other suitable geometric shape) vertical column, preferably attached vertically adjacent to the outside of the building, which is longitudinally slotted on one side to form a main descent channel and which has mounted within it a series of helical lead screws which are fitted together to form one continuous worm shaft. A carrier seat (or harness) unit, which comprises, in part, a seat unit in the form of a net, a hook-up unit in the form of a ball or other suitable geometric shape, is adapted to readily engage within, and descend, at a controlled rate in, the above-mentioned apparatus. People responding to a fire alarm will step through the leg opening in the seat unit and then place the hook-up unit of the carrier seat (or harness) unit, into the slotted channel of a feeder tube (exit lead unit) which extends from an area inside the window to the main descent channel adjacent the window. The carrier seat unit, while carrying the person by means of the net, is then designed to slide, by gravity, through the feed tube and to the main column. The carrier unit then indexes in the main descent channel within the column and descends along the shoulders of the motor-driven rotating helical screw until it nears the bottom of the slot at which time appropriate means are provided for disembarkation. The orderly means of escape described above can be accomplished without the use of existing stair or elevators.
A Third Example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,155 to Campbell teaches & fire escape for use in multi-storied building having floors spaced generally equally from adjacent floors at floor spacing. Fire escape has fire resistant, vertical, hollow outer column and similar inner column positioned generally centrally within outer column. Outer and inner columns have generally oval-sectioned inner and outer wall respectively spaced apart to provide columnar space therebetween. Chute within columnar space follows generally helical path of essentially constant pitch of twice floor spacing so that one complete circuit of chute passes two floors. In one embodiment for wide floor spacing, inner column is hollow and has column floors disposed therein level with floor outside outer column and spiral stairway spaced above chute to follow chute with sufficient head room for persons on the chute or stairway. Person escaping enters outer column through door opening, and can descend stairs directly; or through openings in inner column can descend by chute. In second embodiment for narrower floor spacing, a columnar space contains chute and stairway arrange side by side having equal helical pitches, stairway spaced outwards from chute. Dividing wall between chute and stairway prevents interference between persons using chute or stairway. Opening through outer column permits access to stairs, and opening through dividing wall permits access to chute. In both embodiments a second complementary chute and stairway can be provided so that each embodiment has four independent escape routes.
A Fourth Example, U.S. Patent No. 4,267,900 to Yin-Lung teaches an emergency escape system designed for use with multistory buildings. The system comprises generally a vertical zigzag track formed by a plurality of special contour structures, each structure having three plies of plate mounted in parallel relationship adjacent to outside wall of the building and having a plurality of parallel branch tracks extending laterally and slightly upwardly from the vertical track to an exit tunnel at each floor of the building. A number of loader cars for carrying escapees or properties from each exit tunnel along the track to escape, each car having four universal wheels underneath the bottom of the car and two parallel axles perpendicularly fixed at the upper and the lower end back side of the car, a set of several ball bearing rollers connected each other by specially curved springs is rotatorily mounted on each axle for supporting and traveling along the tracks. A group of special contour retaining bars pivotly mounted between the parallel plates of the track for automatic sequence control of the traveling cars. A spring damper located at each turning point or corner of the track for dampening the speed of the traveling car.
A Fifth Example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,123 to Hargest, III teaches an evacuation system for non-ambulatory patients from a multistory hospital or the like. A trackway is securable to a wall of a stairwell and includes a hanger rail support. A hanger is rotatably associable with the hanger rail support and has elongated elements suspended from same for securement to a wheelchair, stretcher, or the like. A brake system is associated with the hanger to normally brake roller, wheels or the like of same against movement. A brake release apparatus is operatively associated with the brake system from the hanger for actuation by a patient or attendant to permit the hanger to carry the patient along the trackway.
A Sixth Example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,155 to Montaigne, et al. teaches an external elevator system which piggy backs a first rail car on a second rail car to permit simple and rapid transfer of the first rail car to an upper setback section of a high-rise building. Each rail car is equipped with pinion drives that engage racks fixed to vertical rails that are attached to the faces of the base section and setback section of the buildings. The cars also have motor driven wheels that allow the car to drive on horizontal surfaces.
A Seventh Example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,491 to Just-Buddy teaches a fire/rescue system which overcomes the deficiencies of internal and fire escapes by providing a plurality of compartments which are mounted to traverse the vertical side walls of a high-rise building to carry individuals from designated locations, vertically distributed along the side walls of the building, to safety of the base of the building. The compartments are stored prior to use and between uses on the roof of the high-rise building, preferably within a specially-designed garage therefor, thus overcoming the aesthetic deficiencies of external fire escapes. In the event a fire and/or smoke sensing device is activated within the building, one or more of the compartments is ejected from the rooftop storage facility and transverses down the exterior wall(s) of the building. The control system for each compartment is programmed so that the compartment stops briefly at each of certain designated floors to pick up passengers and gradually descends all the way to the ground floor to allow its occupants to exit therefrom. The compartment is then quickly returned to a predesignated point along the side wall of the building, for example adjacent the roof, to repeat the descending/passenger pick-up process. The compartments may also be controlled so as to carry one or more firemen from the ground to various floors of the building to facilitate fire-fighting from the exterior.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for emergency escape systems have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.